Container treatment installations are known, such as, by way of example, installations for filling and closing containers, and possibly also for previously washing and rinsing containers, or indeed sterilizing containers. Such installations have a plurality of rotary platforms that are fitted with container holder devices and that are located adjacent to one another so as to define a travel path for the containers through the corresponding installation. Each holder device is arranged to take hold of the body or the rim of a container in order to hold the container during movement of the corresponding platform.
By way of example, there exist holder devices in the form of clamps comprising a stationary jaw and a movable jaw hinged to the stationary jaw via a pivot pin so that the movable jaw pivots between an open position and a position for closing the holder device. A torsion spring or a helical compression spring connects together the two jaws to urge the movable jaw towards the closed position of the holder device. A friction pin is generally provided between the movable jaw and the stationary jaw in order to take up the forces that act on the movable jaw and that could give rise to resistance to pivoting of the movable jaw about the pivot pin.
The holder device is usually opened under the control of a wheel secured to the movable jaw and co-operating with a cam secured to the corresponding platform.
It is necessary for container treatment installations to be cleaned regularly, in particular when they are used for packaging foodstuffs.
Nevertheless, it has been found that dirt and other impurities tend to accumulate in the vicinity of the pin and the spring. Unfortunately, those parts are found to be particularly difficult to clean, particularly if they are not removed completely from the holder device.
In particular, certain installations are fitted with a cleaning circuit having nozzles for spraying a cleaning solution onto the various parts of the installation. Nevertheless, the cleaning circuit is not effective in cleaning the pins and the springs of the clamps unless a large number of nozzles are used that are aimed specifically at the pins and the springs of the holder devices.
That drawback is particularly disadvantageous if the treatment installation is used in the agrifood industry where hygiene standards are particularly strict.